A Different Kind of “What If”

When change makes you mad, sad, stressed, angry, or confused, take a moment to think about creating a new ending. You can do this by asking yourself different types of “what if” questions. (That is, not the types that ask, what if I hadn’t done this, said this, or been so stupid?.) These should focus on positive outcomes in the future, and will help to rewire your mind, which might still be stuck in the past.

Try these questions:

What if I believe things are going to get better?

What if I really don’t know how things are supposed to be?

What if life is working on my behalf?

What if the end of this relationship is a good thing and I am being protected from something bad in the future?

What if not getting the job I wanted is much better for me in the long term?

What if I can learn something from a therapist or a self-help book?

What if this crisis is the best wake-up call I ever got?

What if coincidences, signs, and synchronicities are helpful guideposts along the way?

What if there is something I can’t yet see or comprehend that would explain why this is happening to me?